Research Question: How do we improve teacher effectiveness?
Contributed by: Matt Sheehan
Journal Article
Teaching Excellence for All Our Students - Theory Into Practice. (n.d.). . Retrieved from http://0-www.informaworld.com.helin.uri.edu/smpp/section?content=a924151735&fulltext=713240928
This journal article was written by two highly involved and experienced professionals in the academic field. They provide a basis for what a good teacher is and why they are needed. Basically, the best teachers are needed in the worst places but that rarely occurs. They define an excellent teacher as one who embodies both an artistic and scienfic side of teaching. Based on this idea they came up with 5 principles for teacher excellence: 1. Accountability for student achievement and empowerment, 2. A belief in the power of accomplished teaching and unlimited learning potential of students, 3. Use of theory of learning to guide teacher practices and student learning, 4. Connect students experiences to content in and out of school, 5. Expertise in pedagogy that builds confidence, affirms effort, and uses data to guide a step-by-step, personalized teaching and learning process. They focus on the ability of a teacher to use these skills in a variety of situatitions such as diverse culutural schools or low performing student population schools. The article suggests action planing residencies in order to promote these 5 principles and have a place for teachers to share teaching practices. Teacher effectiness also depends on the envolvement of parents and students theirfore they suggest many activities to engage parents in the educational process such as visiting the class and explaining standards. Lastly, teachers need to share their work, they need support from other teachers and gain confidence in their practice, and their needs to be some use of technology to capture these practices. Highlighting excellent teachers as a model for others can go a long way in producing the best teachers.
Reactions- I found this article very useful in that it clearly defined practices that embody a great teacher. It gave me a new perspective on new teachers and I realized that confidence and support are actually an important factor to teacher effectiveness. I like their 5 priciples particularly that they do not include anything like the current system in the NCLB act except the first. Accountability for student achievement sounds very similar to NCLB but to me it has its differences. The accountability is about teaching excellence and student achievement without regards to student background such as poverty and the teacher must put a full effort into that student to bring them up. The problem with this is that one teacher cannont handle an incredible amount of work to more than half of the class up to excellence while keeping all the other students engaged. This is my only real critcism, and it seems that it will work only if more teachers engage in these practices and their are multiple teachers to help students in a classroom.
Analysis
EBSCOhost: Do state examinations measure teacher quality? (n.d.). . Retrieved November 15, 2010, from http://0-web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=22&sid=5de4c9ad-189a-4fb4-b9c6-31cc4c2e4c5e%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=36591416 The main basis of this article is the analysis of teacher effectiveness compared to teacher tests in the state of Texas. The article produced a lot of data comparing different facts such as teachers gpa's in graduate degree programs and types of courses taken to the teachers test scores. According to the article, the test is supposed to be an all encompasing test geared towards the state cirruculum and teaching standards. The analysis shows that most teachers in the life science backgournd take around 20 upper level courses which is the most for all groups. For math students the amount of courses was less, with a slightly lower gpa. Mathematical students had a .4% failure rate for the test while Life sciences had .33% failure rate. Overall they produced results that predict the score of a student on the Texas examination to the amount of courses the student has taken and their gpa. The problem with the test is it is rarely updated due to funding, also the test is made by policy makers which is problimatic. Finally, they conclude that the test may prove as a alternative method to getting into the teaching profession.
Reactions- I think that the idea of having a test for teachers is not the best way to evaluate their effectiveness. First off the article does not describe what the teachers are evaluated on. The test seems too specific since it is only for texas teachers and is supposed to test how well they can follow the "standard practices". The results of the corrilation between grades and courses taken to the test which translates to teacher effectivness is only looking at one area of teaching. They only consider theoretical knowledge and don't test on how well the teacher can teach but how much they learned about teching. The idea that a teacher could get into the profession by just taking this specific test seems like a horrible idea that should not be implemented.
CQ Researcher
CQ Researcher Online - Entire Report. (n.d.). . Retrieved December 2, 2010, from http://0-library.cqpress.com.helin.uri.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2010041600&PHPSESSID=i192hbbn4vlavv32kvlicn5u02 This article speaks towards the new revisions of the NCLB act by President Obama. The article describes reasons how the NCLB act did not work and compares current standards to Obamas which seem to be more leanient in terms of giving schools more time and less steep requirements for increasing performance. There is much critcism for the blueprint though such as the fact that the plan does not have instructional stratgies and neither did the original accountability plan according to AFT president Randi Weingarten. Beyond that they go indepth into specific questions being addressed such as should we implement common core standards and should we focus our efforts on the lowest performing schools? In these sections they talk about how common standards would be a good thing if they are coherent and acceptable, or they could have a negative effect and cause more pressure on teachers and schools to sign on. The new plan would get rid of the idea of having 100% proficiency which is difficult to achieve in low perfoming schools but would implement that by 2020 all students should graduate ready for college. The problem is it doesn't address how to help these very low performing schools which is nearly an impossible task. Lastly, the article talks about teacher accountability for student performance. The plan seems to put more emphisis on accountability and teacher punishment. Some positive views are that the teachers need to be held accountable since they are so important to learning, others say that accountability doesn't actually help teachers become better teachers and they should rather spend money and time into teaching practices. The teachers also hold 100% of the responsibility of students learning in this plan which just isn't true.
Reaction- The accountability of teachers was the main piece I found useful. To me after reading this I see how accountability is not helpful to teachers or students in that its aim is more at hurting teachers than helping. Teaching effectiveness should not be compared to a students test scores nor should it be compared to how high the average student achieves, especially in a low performing school. They talked about the firing of the Central Falls teachers over low performance and not meeting the yearly progress. To me threating accountability does not help teachers become better rather it just says put more effort in and you wont be fired, but it just doesn't work like that. Reforming the NCLB is a good idea but there are still so many problems with the new plan from Obama including teacher accountability.
This editorial from the New York TImes was written in 2009 and is providing insight into the possible changes Obama might make to the NCLB. The article made most of the focus out to be on the finicial side of education reform. There was talk about more governmental role in education in that they would pay for all of the reforms if the governors would sign off on their pledges. This was signed in with the Obama stimlus plan and provided money for Race to the Top. An example of a plege was to improve standards, to assign effective teachers equally to all students, and the Race to the Top funds controlled by on person. Obama continues to use a data driven system criticised by some.
Reaction- This article certainly shows the issues that arrise with government involvement in education. The problem is that they are tying money to promises, even with Race to the Top where the needy school states must have approved plans. Who decides what is a good plan though? Is it just one person? Also, the idea of giving money for pledges to work harder doesn't help anyone if there are no real details on how they should improve. Once again, there seems to be a vague plan to improve teachers by money and promises that just doesn't do much.
Research Question: How do we improve teacher effectiveness?
Contributed by: Matt SheehanJournal Article
Teaching Excellence for All Our Students - Theory Into Practice. (n.d.). . Retrieved from http://0-www.informaworld.com.helin.uri.edu/smpp/section?content=a924151735&fulltext=713240928
This journal article was written by two highly involved and experienced professionals in the academic field. They provide a basis for what a good teacher is and why they are needed. Basically, the best teachers are needed in the worst places but that rarely occurs. They define an excellent teacher as one who embodies both an artistic and scienfic side of teaching. Based on this idea they came up with 5 principles for teacher excellence: 1. Accountability for student achievement and empowerment, 2. A belief in the power of accomplished teaching and unlimited learning potential of students, 3. Use of theory of learning to guide teacher practices and student learning, 4. Connect students experiences to content in and out of school, 5. Expertise in pedagogy that builds confidence, affirms effort, and uses data to guide a step-by-step, personalized teaching and learning process. They focus on the ability of a teacher to use these skills in a variety of situatitions such as diverse culutural schools or low performing student population schools. The article suggests action planing residencies in order to promote these 5 principles and have a place for teachers to share teaching practices. Teacher effectiness also depends on the envolvement of parents and students theirfore they suggest many activities to engage parents in the educational process such as visiting the class and explaining standards. Lastly, teachers need to share their work, they need support from other teachers and gain confidence in their practice, and their needs to be some use of technology to capture these practices. Highlighting excellent teachers as a model for others can go a long way in producing the best teachers.
Reactions- I found this article very useful in that it clearly defined practices that embody a great teacher. It gave me a new perspective on new teachers and I realized that confidence and support are actually an important factor to teacher effectiveness. I like their 5 priciples particularly that they do not include anything like the current system in the NCLB act except the first. Accountability for student achievement sounds very similar to NCLB but to me it has its differences. The accountability is about teaching excellence and student achievement without regards to student background such as poverty and the teacher must put a full effort into that student to bring them up. The problem with this is that one teacher cannont handle an incredible amount of work to more than half of the class up to excellence while keeping all the other students engaged. This is my only real critcism, and it seems that it will work only if more teachers engage in these practices and their are multiple teachers to help students in a classroom.
Analysis
EBSCOhost: Do state examinations measure teacher quality? (n.d.). . Retrieved November 15, 2010, from http://0-web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=22&sid=5de4c9ad-189a-4fb4-b9c6-31cc4c2e4c5e%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=36591416
The main basis of this article is the analysis of teacher effectiveness compared to teacher tests in the state of Texas. The article produced a lot of data comparing different facts such as teachers gpa's in graduate degree programs and types of courses taken to the teachers test scores. According to the article, the test is supposed to be an all encompasing test geared towards the state cirruculum and teaching standards. The analysis shows that most teachers in the life science backgournd take around 20 upper level courses which is the most for all groups. For math students the amount of courses was less, with a slightly lower gpa. Mathematical students had a .4% failure rate for the test while Life sciences had .33% failure rate. Overall they produced results that predict the score of a student on the Texas examination to the amount of courses the student has taken and their gpa. The problem with the test is it is rarely updated due to funding, also the test is made by policy makers which is problimatic. Finally, they conclude that the test may prove as a alternative method to getting into the teaching profession.
Reactions- I think that the idea of having a test for teachers is not the best way to evaluate their effectiveness. First off the article does not describe what the teachers are evaluated on. The test seems too specific since it is only for texas teachers and is supposed to test how well they can follow the "standard practices". The results of the corrilation between grades and courses taken to the test which translates to teacher effectivness is only looking at one area of teaching. They only consider theoretical knowledge and don't test on how well the teacher can teach but how much they learned about teching. The idea that a teacher could get into the profession by just taking this specific test seems like a horrible idea that should not be implemented.
CQ Researcher
CQ Researcher Online - Entire Report. (n.d.). . Retrieved December 2, 2010, from http://0-library.cqpress.com.helin.uri.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2010041600&PHPSESSID=i192hbbn4vlavv32kvlicn5u02
This article speaks towards the new revisions of the NCLB act by President Obama. The article describes reasons how the NCLB act did not work and compares current standards to Obamas which seem to be more leanient in terms of giving schools more time and less steep requirements for increasing performance. There is much critcism for the blueprint though such as the fact that the plan does not have instructional stratgies and neither did the original accountability plan according to AFT president Randi Weingarten. Beyond that they go indepth into specific questions being addressed such as should we implement common core standards and should we focus our efforts on the lowest performing schools? In these sections they talk about how common standards would be a good thing if they are coherent and acceptable, or they could have a negative effect and cause more pressure on teachers and schools to sign on. The new plan would get rid of the idea of having 100% proficiency which is difficult to achieve in low perfoming schools but would implement that by 2020 all students should graduate ready for college. The problem is it doesn't address how to help these very low performing schools which is nearly an impossible task. Lastly, the article talks about teacher accountability for student performance. The plan seems to put more emphisis on accountability and teacher punishment. Some positive views are that the teachers need to be held accountable since they are so important to learning, others say that accountability doesn't actually help teachers become better teachers and they should rather spend money and time into teaching practices. The teachers also hold 100% of the responsibility of students learning in this plan which just isn't true.
Reaction- The accountability of teachers was the main piece I found useful. To me after reading this I see how accountability is not helpful to teachers or students in that its aim is more at hurting teachers than helping. Teaching effectiveness should not be compared to a students test scores nor should it be compared to how high the average student achieves, especially in a low performing school. They talked about the firing of the Central Falls teachers over low performance and not meeting the yearly progress. To me threating accountability does not help teachers become better rather it just says put more effort in and you wont be fired, but it just doesn't work like that. Reforming the NCLB is a good idea but there are still so many problems with the new plan from Obama including teacher accountability.
Editorial
Education Standards Likely to See Toughening - NYTimes.com. (n.d.). . Retrieved December 2, 2010, from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/education/15educ.html
This editorial from the New York TImes was written in 2009 and is providing insight into the possible changes Obama might make to the NCLB. The article made most of the focus out to be on the finicial side of education reform. There was talk about more governmental role in education in that they would pay for all of the reforms if the governors would sign off on their pledges. This was signed in with the Obama stimlus plan and provided money for Race to the Top. An example of a plege was to improve standards, to assign effective teachers equally to all students, and the Race to the Top funds controlled by on person. Obama continues to use a data driven system criticised by some.
Reaction- This article certainly shows the issues that arrise with government involvement in education. The problem is that they are tying money to promises, even with Race to the Top where the needy school states must have approved plans. Who decides what is a good plan though? Is it just one person? Also, the idea of giving money for pledges to work harder doesn't help anyone if there are no real details on how they should improve. Once again, there seems to be a vague plan to improve teachers by money and promises that just doesn't do much.